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Topic: 7 Dec 2018 Albion 2 Aston Villa 2 (Read 23837 times)

I'm still trying to process last night. Anyone have any idea what we were trying to do tactically during the game? There is no instruction from the top in terms of a style of play, or a way in which we set up. We are now reverting back to the joyous playing it out from the back with defenders who are not comfortable on the ball whilst our manager stands there clapping his hands and whistling, before going down the tunnel whilst we were 2-1 down and in need of inspiration for his matchly dump.

The Villa, on the other hand, were well set up and would have won it comfortably if Abraham hadn't spurned a couple of great chances. I envy them, they have a manager of some note who has some semblance of an idea what he is doing, ours just sticks 11 players on the pitch and hopes Gayle and Barnes fire.

I'm still trying to process last night. Anyone have any idea what we were trying to do tactically during the game? There is no instruction from the top in terms of a style of play, or a way in which we set up. We are now reverting back to the joyous playing it out from the back with defenders who are not comfortable on the ball whilst our manager stands there clapping his hands and whistling, before going down the tunnel whilst we were 2-1 down and in need of inspiration for his matchly dump.

The Villa, on the other hand, were well set up and would have won it comfortably if Abraham hadn't spurned a couple of great chances. I envy them, they have a manager of some note who has some semblance of an idea what he is doing, ours just sticks 11 players on the pitch and hopes Gayle and Barnes fire.

Agree on the awful tip tapping about but clearly our plan was to work the flanks which we do pretty well . There is a plan but right now we don't have the right players to do it , Villa on the other hand are loaded with attacking players as seen last night . Why we seem to have started floating balls in both last night and the Brentford game is beyond me though , theres no Taylor / Dichio / Bednar . We don't have one forward who can head a ball.

Don't know how I feel this morning! Taking the last week into perspective, conceding a late goal against Brentford hence dropping points (mightily **** off by the inability to keep a clean sheet again) then, the outright delight of nailing a point off the Vile our nearest & dearest (for some admittedly) with a decidedly dodgy looking goal!However, in the cold light of day, points wise we'd have been better off beating Brentford & losing to the Vile (did I really just say that?)

Still I suppose taking points off them in a promotion sense was probably required & we didnt lose to the b@st@rds

We were not really at the races today and still looked a cut above the majority of the match...

If that's what you genuinely think, then fair enough. You're wrong like. But all about opinions, even unjustifiable ones.

To the other chap. Abraham missed a free header first half and of course the tap in. He missed 3 or 4 chances.

You don't score them, you leave yourself open. That you didn't create another goal scoring opportunity of any more though shows we did it well the other way. To control the ball with your hand and then palm it in...

Jrod didn't palm it in. Have another look on the highlights. He challenges the keeper for the cross probably with his eyes closed, he then puts his hands out to save his fall which a natural reaction. This isn't a Maradona incident.Villas goals were from outside the box, one a massive deflection the other a great strike.The best 2 moves of the game resulted in Albion goals.For the miss of the season see Jrod v Brentford.It was a really good match fair play to both sides.

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anything can be proven with facts.I much prefer knee jerk reaction and prejudice

When you think we lost Morrison in the morning ,lost HRK as the hold up , playing a expensive Villa side under the new manager honeymoon , two games in 4 days .....I have to give credit to the players to keep going until the death and be happy with the point.

Who is coaching the defence? Last night they were reverting back to start of season trying to over elaborate with their passing and in second half hoofing balls forward. Closing down was terrible and that contributed to goals, under this manager it is becoming painfully obvious that we will have no control of game through midfield and as for his substitions they will not influence game.

Who is coaching the defence? Last night they were reverting back to start of season trying to over elaborate with their passing and in second half hoofing balls forward. Closing down was terrible and that contributed to goals, under this manager it is becoming painfully obvious that we will have no control of game through midfield and as for his substitions they will not influence game.

The first goal certainly was. OK it was a lucky deflection but Gibbs simply has to show more desire to close the shot down. Perfectly avoidable goal. The second goal, their fella makes a run on the overlap which Gibbs makes a move towards covering (correctly) and their player hits a worldie. I'd hold my hands up on the second goal. Maybe a slight question over Sam Johnstone? Every time someone shoots from outside the box it seems to go in. As a goalkeeper Johnstone should be concerned about the amount of goals he's conceding from long range.

Who is coaching the defence? Last night they were reverting back to start of season trying to over elaborate with their passing and in second half hoofing balls forward. Closing down was terrible and that contributed to goals, under this manager it is becoming painfully obvious that we will have no control of game through midfield and as for his substitions they will not influence game.

IMO the Brunt substitution was to get accurate passes to our wide players, with Berk brought on to play wide.The intention being, to stretch their back line across the pitch, giving us space in the middle.I believe it worked.

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If it was easy, it wouldn't be Albion

A wise old owl sat in an oak, the more he saw, the less he spokeThe less he spoke the more he heard, why aren't we like that wise old bird?

From the Kick off we had possession of the ball for all of ten seconds. An almighty diagonal hoof out to the right wing goes flying out for a Villa throw. That seemed to set the pattern for our passing style for the match. We just do not keep possession for any length of time.Crosses, free kicks and corners are, mostly, either too short to the first defender or too long past the entire field. Not just this match but in most of our games It all looks so amateur.Other teams, luckily are often just as rubbish at doing this so it balances out but we shouldn't have to rely on the crappiness of other teams.

Thought we looked the better side until they scored then they had about 10 minutes , then we were back in control, deservedly got the equaliser and then controlled the second half until they scored again, then they had 15 mins or so when they could have scored a couple more but didn't before we got back in control again.

Yes we got lucky with the equaliser but it wasn't deliberate handball, just that the ball hit his hand. Presumably that's what the assistant told the ref and that's why the goal stood. I was amazed that the ref allowed it considering how much he'd given them in the previous 90 mins.

Yes Villa had some good chances when we were trying to get back into the game but they didn't create that much in reality and most of the shots on target they had were like back passes.

I thought Barnes had yet another below par game, showed great tenacity for the Gayle goal but didn't do much else and needs to learn that sometimes passing is better than shooting. I would have taken him off for Sako but equally Rodriguez could have been subbed.

McGinn looked good for them once Barry tired and Grealish was his usual self falling over at every opportunity. Tosin had a tough time with Bolasie and Al Ghazi hit a worldie for the second but apart from that I thought they looked ordinary.

We didn't deserve to win the game but neither did they so a draw was a fair result.

I thought we were edged the first half, even after the flukey first goal had changed the balance of the play.

In the 2nd we were on top until the worldie of a second put you ahead. After that we were poor and you were on top for 15+ minutes and we were lucky to not go further behind with Abraham missing a sitter. In the last 10 minutes we showed plenty of resilience which ended in us getting a flukey goal of our own.

Your best player was possibly Hutton. The difference between his performance at RB and Adaraboiyo's was stark and was IMO largely down to experience. Hutton makes all the right decisions while Adaraboiyo sometimes makes poor ones, cheaply giving away possession etc. He is still learning.

Make no mistake though, we did not play well last night, especially in the second half, a definite off-day, which considering we only had 4 days rest in a way is not that surprising.

I think their is little between the two teams and expect both to be challenging for the top 2 spots towards the end of the season.

If that's what you genuinely think, then fair enough. You're wrong like. But all about opinions, even unjustifiable ones.

To the other chap. Abraham missed a free header first half and of course the tap in. He missed 3 or 4 chances.

You don't score them, you leave yourself open. That you didn't create another goal scoring opportunity of any more though shows we did it well the other way. To control the ball with your hand and then palm it in...

That's two World Cup 86 goals I've seen in two derbies of late.

i am sure you didn't watch the same game gayle had a very good chance just before we scored our second when he shot when he could have squared it for Barnes and when it was 2-2 we had the chance that fell to Gibbs in the box and it smacked it straight at your keeper.

Villa impressed me to be fair. Would love to have a midfielder like McGinn. We kept going and was pleased about that. We move the ball from midfield too slowly for me and this was a key difference between the two sides.

Thought Villa showed what having a good mobile midfield can do - McGinn and Grealish kept control of the tempo. I'd love McGinn in our side - great footballer with a good engine. If we had a midfield that had some legs and was not bordering a pensioners home then we'd be beating teams far more comfortably. We have to address that issue. Those sides with energy and bite have more often than not caused us problems

We was obviously lucky with the equaliser but having been soaked in **** ten minutes prior by those fvcking imbeciles, I am not at all bothered.

Not sure Gayle and Rodriguez in the same team with this formation works to be honest - we lost Gayle's best instincts and Rodriguez is often anonymous.

Villa impressed me to be fair. Would love to have a midfielder like McGinn. We kept going and was pleased about that. We move the ball from midfield too slowly for me and this was a key difference between the two sides.

It helps with McGinn and Grealish that they are both grest ball carriers. They can pick up possession, carry it 30 yards and play between the lines.

With a combination of Barry, Brunt and Livermore we do not have that luxary. Morrison and Phillps are without doubt our better pairing in the middle.

Our midfield is slow and ponderous because they do not have the energy to get around the pitch - instead we dilly dally in possession and allow the opposition time to get organised

I don't think you created anything clear cut and quickly ran out of ideas. We were the better side, didn't win, it happens.

I guess you can take comfort from showing resilience and coming back, albeit with a huge dollop of luck and officiating incompetence. We can take positives from a third tough away game where we've been the better side.

If that's what you genuinely think, then fair enough. You're wrong like. But all about opinions, even unjustifiable ones.

To the other chap. Abraham missed a free header first half and of course the tap in. He missed 3 or 4 chances.

You don't score them, you leave yourself open. That you didn't create another goal scoring opportunity of any more though shows we did it well the other way. To control the ball with your hand and then palm it in...

That's two World Cup 86 goals I've seen in two derbies of late.

I do genuinely think that and no I’m not wrong...it’s not an opinion it’s a fact